The Hundred Reigns 250: The Workshop of Horrors (9) (Patreon)

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None of this made sense. 

Why would the Crafter replace inventors with automatons? They were competing to become his apprentice in the first place. What possible benefit could he derive from this scheme? Was Carlo of Muse taking out his competition? Simon struggled to imagine a genius capable of creating war machines able to stalemate Endymion’s military as being so insecure. 

“Why would the Crafter replace inventors in his own country?” Simon inquired. “What would he have to gain from this?”

“Peace of mind!” Bert snapped back bitterly. His resentment was on full display. “That old man is afraid that another genius will supplant him!”

Silk’s response was far more down to earth. “Are you sure he has only replaced young inventors?” she asked, sounding genuinely curiously. A good Rogue always hungered for secrets. “We would target powerful officials, politicians, and tycoons if we had such power.”

She might have a point… I’m using too small a sample size. Simon had only taken street pictures so far, so he might have missed more of these impersonators in harder-to-reach places. I must confirm the pattern. 

Otherwise, Simon proceeded to add his new minions to his Party to check on their location and stats. Bert and Velvet were a level 62 Puppeteer and Assassin respectively, whereas Silk topped them as a level 67 Rogue. They likely started the reigns one or two levels below that. 

Checking Silk’s Perks proved particularly enlightening. Rogue Perks allowed her to steal items from other Class’ storage spaces like Inventory or Armory—which meant Simon could likely have her rob Louis of the Mana Sword without his knowledge—alongside magical effects, buffs, mana, and even breath. She possessed plenty of abilities preventing detection or creating disguises, alongside speed-based Techniques and ailments. 

Simon didn’t see anything too interesting for him to use Devour Crestone on besides Skeleton Key, but now that he confirmed he could enslave Silk at any point, he realized she would become a powerful asset to raid the likes of Gargauth’s Hoard. In the meantime, he gave her strict orders to prevent her from finding a loophole in them and would keep an eye on her level progression. He couldn’t exclude the possibility that a high-level Rogue might gain Perks capable of slipping through the Devil Brands. 

He then interrogated the three Cobweb members about their activities in Muse. Bert had apparently been created inside the tower by Carlo of Muse at an indeterminate time; likely decades, considering he had seen Jym Coil as a child. He started out as an experiment about using miasma rather than manalith to animate a construct, but swiftly disappointed his creator for developing early murderous tendencies. He had eventually been discarded, disassembled, and then thrown into the Junkyard. 

Simon had heard rumors of this wasteland where past Crafters dumped their own failed experiments or trash over the years. Many adventurers and would-be inventors often scavenged discarded devices there in spite of the risk, and Valravn had been no exception. The archfiend had followed his miasmic trail soon after taking over Verney six years ago and infused him with a stolen soul until he achieved true self-awareness. The nameless construct then murdered the real Ludwig Bert and assumed his identity on the Cobweb’s behalf, completing the Trading Company’s takeover and becoming their chief agent in Muse. He had spent years cultivating a relationship with the local authorities until he established a direct line of communication with his creator’s apprentices, and bullied Coil every step of the way. 

The puppet had indeed become human enough to feel petty spite. 

“Does your human identity have access to the Crafter’s Tower?” Simon inquired. 

“I have only visited the guest floors used for official visits, and the internal layout has changed many times since my creation,” Bert replied with annoyance. He made his dislike of his new master clear every time he spoke. “Only the apprentices have full access to restricted areas.”

“The security systems are too complex to slip through,” Silk said. “Golems, automated weapons, traps, locking doors…”

“The tower’s defenses must be truly formidable to hold back the Rogue herself,” Simon noted.

Silk glared at him when he mentioned her Class. “I managed to access certain floors before having to turn back. We eventually deemed it easier to place a man on the inside capable of providing a detailed map and unlocking certain areas.”

“And what did you find inside?”

“Automated research facilities, a maze of rooms, inner gardens to rest in… everything a man would need to live without ever stepping out of his house.” Silk crossed her arms. “The Crafter’s personal workshop stands at the top of the tower, and the Earth Megalith powers it all from the base. We hoped to get access to either of them.”

“And you still might.” Uncovering the puppet conspiracy had only made Simon all the more determined to find out the truth about the Crafter. “For now, you will use my colored pictobox to take pictures of all important officials and major businessmen in Lampwick, then report back to me through telepathy. Undetected, of course.”

Silk sneered in annoyance, but the brands compelled her to obey. She grabbed the pictobox and disappeared. 

“As for you, Velvet, you will report to me all of Valravn’s activities,” Simon said. “Where is Prince Louis?”

“Hosted in Valravn’s dreary castle,” Velvet replied dismissively. “The old fool hopes to convince him to join our organization by promising him a ‘lion’s might’ to retake Endymion. I also tried to… entice him to our side.”

“I take it Louis wasn’t interested in either of you,” Simon guessed, with Velvet’s look of annoyance confirming his suspicions. Her charms had fallen flat on the likes of Louis. “That man needs no demon to be a god of war.”

“He is a destitute prince with no chance to reclaim the throne without our help; of course he’ll bend eventually,” Velvet replied dismissively. “Principles yield quickly when they get in the way of a man’s ambition.”

That might be the case for a reasonable man, but Louis Magnos was deranged and committed to his insane cause. Simon wouldn’t put it past him to stick to his warped beliefs even after hitting rock bottom. “And Vouivre?”

“She’s losing territory hunting down your decoy and facing Endymion’s forces. Valravn would like to recruit her as our new Weaver now that Voltobauta has gone missing.”

“Has he?” Simon would bet the Necromancer had found his way to the Sanctuary and reunited with the Adventurer. “Is Vouivre receptive to the offer?”

“She would rather enslave us all, but she will swallow her pride eventually.” Velvet scowled darkly. “You know too much about us. Someone squealed.”

“Voltobauta,” Bert guessed. “Once a pirate, always a pirate.”

“You spiders spin intricate webs, but I spin them larger,” Simon taunted them without confirming their assumptions. “Bert, you will bury the lawsuits against Coil Futuristics and cease your campaign against them. We’ll have a longer talk once you have settled the matter.”

Simon had his suspicions about which soul Valravn used to complete Bert’s transformation into a fully sapient automaton and intended to confirm it soon with Duchar’s assistance. However, uncovering the truth would take a while and he had more immediate matters to deal with. 

“And now, since what’s yours is mine…” Simon looked at the manor around them. “Show me what you have.”

—----------

Simon robbed Bert’s manor blind.

He felt like a child in a candy store by the time he was finished. He copied designs of anti-magical music boxes and puppet soldiers, discovered blueprints for the manor and its traps, confiscated Bert’s Puppeteer Crestone to copy its schematics, stole multiple magical items, and even discovered a miasma-infused grimoire similar to Scream of the Soul. He recorded everything in the Abyssal Chronicle and copied every book available for further study. 

He also found notes on how Chrom Cruak and Bert had cooperated on that homegrown shifter project in Cocagne. The two had attempted to create artificial, Darkblooded hosts compatible with the Zodiac crystals to provide bodies for their demonic allies, especially Helel. Their attempts had failed so far, and since Simon knew from experience that they hadn’t managed to free the Maiden over the course of a four centuries, he suspected their efforts were doomed from the start.  

Duchar should find use for the research notes nonetheless, and Bert had visited Chrom’s pyramid enough time to give a rough map of the upper levels. That would come in handy. 

“Chrom Cruak has a mighty secondary combat Class besides Archeologist, though I don’t know what it is, and he’s both an accomplished warrior and sorcerer,” Bert said. “He has had centuries to hone his skills and hatred.”

Then he was likely stronger than Valravn himself, though still no match for Elios Magnos and a bug compared to Simon’s Wicked God form. Unfortunately, Bert and the twins had little else to say on Chrom Cruak’s projects. Each Weaver operated independently outside of occasional group projects to avoid threatening the rest of the network in case of capture. 

“You have accumulated a rather precious collection, Bert,” Simon mused. “All this talent wasted on envy and petty revenge… I will ensure your creative energies are directed towards more constructive applications from now on.”

Bert grunted in frustration. “I’m back where I started. From a bitter old fool to a demonic tyrant...”

“Bold of you to think you were ever free in the first place, puppet. Did you not dance to Valravn’s strings beforehand?” Enough that the archfiend had been willing to send him to die against Simon in a previous reign. “Mayhaps it is in your nature to crave a master deep down. You were created to serve, after all.”

“I serve no on—” Bert’s Brand of Pride immediately forced him to choke on his words, much to Simon’s amusement. 

“We’ll confirm it soon enough,” Simon said as he grabbed Bert by the shoulder, stored him in his Inventory like he did with Hector, and issued a telepathic message to Duchar. “Summon me.”

His allies in Telluria summoned him in the archive within minutes. He dropped his puppet slave in a closed room in the depths of the facility, with Duchar and Hector having already set up the operation table.

“Greetings, Your Majesty.” Duchar studied Bert with rapturous attention. “What a complex and elegant design. A true work of art.” 

“You remind me of my creator,” Bert said, which wasn’t a compliment. “Am I to become a lab rat?”

“Something like that.” Simon had Bert lay on the operation table, with Duchar putting restraints on him. “Some time ago, a companion suggested that Valravn cut his host’s soul apart, stealing all of his memories and useful skills while ridding himself of emotions and consciousness. Those had to go somewhere, and I think I’ve finally found it.”

Bert quickly caught on. “You think I was granted Verney’s soul?”

“Possibly.” The voice Simon perceived when he used Heart’s Desire on Bert sounded close to Thomas Verney’s. “My retainer Hector will delve into your mind and soul until we can confirm it.”

“No, no!” Bert protested as Duchar placed Hector’s helmet on his head. “I refuse! I refu—”

“Submit in silence,” Simon ordered, the Brand of Pride compelling Bert to grow still and obedient. Hector’s helmet dug into his wooden head and possessed his mind. “What do you see?”

“It is… difficult for me to occupy an existing mind… Even one that does not resist me.” Hector answered through Bert’s mouth while his father cast diagnostic spells on the body. “This mind has… layers, like an onion…”

“Truly fascinating,” Duchar muttered to himself. “This resembles a case of demonic possession where a human soul merges with a demonic entity, yet in this case, it appears a subconsciousness has been trapped inside a miasmic shell personality. I have never seen anything like this before.”

“Do you think we can bring the soul inside to the surface?” Simon asked. 

“Potentially.” Duchar’s eyes glimmered with excitement and curiosity. “I need to analyze this creature. We are looking at a unique and most wonderful specimen.”

“Take your time. I do not expect immediate results.” Simon had already forced Bert to issue orders to end his campaign against Coil Futuristics and then take a small leave of absence. No one would notice his disappearance for a few days, especially with Velvet and Silk covering for him. “Learn everything you can.”

If his suspicions were confirmed, then he had found the perfect weapon against Valravn.

—-------

Silk had completed her task by the time Simon returned to Coil Futuristics a few days later. Things moved so much quicker when Simon’s agents could use the Attic to run around the country. The Bert Trading Company had also dropped all its lawsuits and publicly retracted the study’s conclusions, much to everyone’s surprise. 

That petty feud was finally settled for good. 

However, the results of the Rogue’s picture-taking spree didn’t reassure Simon in the slightest, nor did the lack of a receptionist at Coil Futuristics. He let out a breath of relief upon finding Coil working in the lab with his golem, having briefly feared something had happened to the couple in his absence. 

“I’ve talked to Bert and came to an arrangement with him,” Simon said upon walking inside the workshop. Coil didn’t spare him a glance and instead continued to tinker some kind of tin spike inside a glass container. “Where’s Magda?”

Coil took a split second to answer, something he rarely did. “She left for her parents’ farm for the week.”

“She left?” That took Simon aback. Magda never left the house for more than a day. “Why?”

“She didn’t like my choice to stay here to work on the project rather than flee. She said she needed space to think.” Jym Coil struggled to show emotion, yet Simon detected a hint of distress in his calm voice. “Aleph has taken on her duties in her absence, but underperforms. Its omelets lack flavor.” The golem lowered its head in shame. “I do not understand why she would abandon her post now. The project is important for everyone.” 

“Because she cares for your life and her own more than science,” Simon pointed out. The stress of the situation probably weighed on her. He hoped he hadn’t accidentally created a rift in the couple, and he would have to check on Magda with the pictobox on her return. Better safe than sorry. “You should follow her. Make her feel supported.”

“I cannot leave until I am finished,” Coil insisted, his hand flipping a switch. “Observe.”

The tin spike glowed inside the glass container until it illuminated the lab. The effect wasn’t so different from Lampwick’s streetlights, yet revolutionary from the fact Simon couldn’t detect any kind of magic powering the device.

“It doesn’t use manaliths,” Simon muttered in awe. “Where does the energy come from?”

“The windmill outside. Cables transfer the energy in the form of electricity which this device then converts into light.” Jym Coil at last sounded somewhat satisfied. “Windmills and dams set on all of Muse’s rivers would produce enough supply to wean us off from manaliths.”

The same could go for Endymion. Simon’s homeland had plenty of rivers and mills in its heartlands. The less we rely on manaliths for industry, the more we could redirect those resources to other projects like Vassal Crestones… this could have a major impact on our economy down the line. 

“Seems to me you have a prototype,” Simon said. “Why not take a break and join Magda then?”

“I am not finished with the project,” Jym Coil replied sternly. “The machine requires a direct connection between the energy source and the lamp, but lightning can travel across the sky without a physical medium. I must find a way to replicate the process.” 

“Is that obsession your own?” Simon wondered. “Or something your father placed in your mind?”

Jym Coil turned and stared at Simon with a blank expression. “Explain your reasoning.”

“Why didn’t you tell me you are the Crafter’s son?” Simon asked bluntly.

“That assumption is erroneous.” Jym Coil frowned. “My parents were Bujan farmers. Jack and Brigitte Wynand.”

“But you entertained the possibility of being an automaton earlier, so you doubt your own sense of reality,” Simon pointed out. “Why?”

Jym Coil hesitated a moment before answering. “I recall everything I have ever experienced. Every sound, every flicker of light, every smell… but the farther I go back, the more unreliable my memory becomes. I find holes and lapses that shouldn’t be there. It bothers me. It bothers me greatly.”

As Simon feared. “What is the last moment you recall with perfect clarity?”

“The moment I stepped off the ship from Bujan. The Trailblazer. I vividly remember everything from that day on.“ Coil gave him that trademark unblinking stare of his. “You believe my memories may have been tampered with.”

It wasn’t a question. “It is a serious possibility, yes.” 

“Because you know ways to do the same as the Overlord.”

A terrible silence fell upon the workshop, so heavy one could hear every swipe of Aleph’s broom as the golem cleaned the floor. 

“How did you figure it out?” Simon simply asked after a moment’s consideration.

“You didn’t entertain the possibility that Endymion’s imperial intelligence or the Overlord could be behind the disguised automatons for a second,” Coil said. “You would need to be in the army or belong to a powerful family to obtain a combat Class in Magvolia. The new Overlord’s identity remains in question. Your crafting inspiration focuses entirely on miasma or cursed objects, and you plot to enter the Crafter’s Tower for elusive reasons. When I eliminated all other hypotheses, the last one, however improbable, had to be true.”

“Your intelligence is truly beyond compare, Mr. Coil,” Simon complimented him. He was torn between admiration for the man and frustration at how easily he had figured it all out. He still needed a lot of practice until he became the perfect spy. “Are you going to turn me in?”

Coil shook his head. “Success would be highly improbable. I assume you would kill me or Magda the moment I took action.”

“I wouldn’t.” Although Simon was considering using Memory Snatcher to remove evidence of his true identity from Coil’s mind. “No matter my origins, I promise you that I am on your side. I truly believe you are good people whose brilliance will change the world, and I wish to help you the best I can.”

“Do you?” Jym Coil asked pointedly. “I am giving you the benefit of the doubt because I haven’t seen any evidence of nefarious behavior from your part and I am thankful for your assistance, but I cannot exclude the possibility of a ploy. Why did you come to Muse?”

“My Class is changing me into something I am not comfortable with,” Simon admitted. “I first sought the Crafter’s Crestone because I believe it would help me escape the Overlord’s limitations.”

“You want to create devices that help people rather than harm them,” Jym Coil guessed. “You need no Crestone for that.”

“Yes, I see that now.” Although consuming the Crafter would still massively expand his options. “I hoped to forestall its influence by connecting with people. You could say it was an… experiment to practice empathy.”

Coil looked at him with genuine curiosity. “Did it work?” 

“... no,” Simon admitted. “No, it didn’t.”

He had stayed for months in Lampwick, and while he did experience the bitter flavor of guilt many times when he walked streets he once devastated, he didn’t feel any particular love for the city or its citizens. In fact, seeing all the rampant poverty, public services mismanagement, and the blatant corruption that caused the Coils to struggle so much had disabused him. Muse was no Sanctuary. 

All he could see were the flaws he could fix. 

“I care for you and Magda, and I would like to help the unfortunate, but I don’t think I would hesitate to sacrifice half of Lampwick if it meant saving your lives,” Simon admitted. He wasn’t so different from Lauriane in that regard. “I suppose I have selective empathy.” 

“I understand,” Jym Coil replied without an ounce of condemnation. “I relate.”

Simon raised an eyebrow. “You do?”

“Mathematics, engineering, biology—all these things come easier to me than other human beings. What they find amusing or tragic does not elicit standard reactions from me. They experience feelings I can only visualize and simulate in my mind. A mental gulf separates me from the rest of mankind.” 

This didn’t surprise Simon considering the man’s behavior, and echoed his own issues. “Even Magda?”

Jym Coil hesitated a moment before answering with a clear lack of certainty. “I think I care for her. It would distress me to hear she had suffered harm, and I want her to be happy. I do not feel that way towards anyone else.”

“But she knows you’ll always pick your projects over her,” Simon guessed. “It’s causing her distress.”

“She knew that when we married. I never lied to her about it.” Jym Coil stared at his light device, searching for insight that eluded his genius. “I do not understand why it bothers her now. Nothing has changed.”

“Knowing intellectually and feeling it in your bones are two very different things,” Simon pointed out. “However, we can discuss your couple’s troubles later. I have learned more.”

Simon gave Jym Coil a rough summary of the latest events without going into too much detail. The scientist listened as he explained that he had confirmed Bert was one of the Crafter’s discarded creations with a grudge against him, and that he was unrelated to the plague of hidden automatons. Coil kept a blank face through all of it. 

“I have no memory of ever being inside the Crafter’s Tower, or meeting Carlo of Muse,” Jym said with certainty the moment Simon completed his explanations. “Either Bert is lying, or my memories have indeed been tampered with.”

“I can already exclude the former.” Simon summoned pictures from his Inventory and presented them to Coil. “I had another ally take more pictures around Lampwick and Muse.”

Coil squinted at the many, many images of automatons unknowingly dining among humans, shaking hands with officials, or running experiments in labs. “There are more.”

“It’s not just the candidates to this Planetary Exposition that have been replaced. A large number of scientists who participated in the previous ones are now puppets in disguise.” Simon shook his head. “I still don’t understand why.”

Jym Coil gave it some thought. “Hypothesis one; they have been conscripted to work on a secret project and replaced to ensure they can work without anyone noticing. They might not even have been abducted.”

“I considered that.” The Champion project came to mind. “However, why leave you out of it? You have a brilliant mind, and I don’t think the Crafter would care much about Bert’s interference. He wasn’t even aware of the puppets’ existence.”

“This is what makes me believe hypothesis two is closer to the truth,” Coil replied. “That this is all a vast experiment with obscure aims, which would explain why my wife and I have been left alone.”

“Why’s that?”

“Elementary.” Coil’s eyes stared at the puppets in the picture. “Because we are the control group.”

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